1. Field of Search
The present invention relates to packaging containers and methods of packing, unpacking, and repacking delicate items of substantial weight such as furniture, electronic instruments and computers.
2. Prior Art
Furniture, electronic instruments and computers, as well as other bulky items of substantial weight and of a somewhat delicate nature are usually packed in a corrugated paper or cardboard carton with preformed styrofoam support posts in each corner thereof to securely suspend the item being shipped inside the carton in a spaced apart relationship with each of the six sides of the carton. With this packaging configuration the item being shipped and the styrofoam support posts must be assembled one with respect to the other all at the same time before the item is loaded into the carton for shipping. This requires at least two people, and perhaps an overhead crane, to load the item into the carton, or the building of the carton around the item and its support posts.
Similarly, when the item is received at its destination at least two people will be required to remove the item from the carton. This is accomplished by either pulling the item straight up out of the carton together with its support posts, or by one person cutting away the carton while a second person holds the support posts around the item until they both can remove the item from the support posts.
Both the loading and unloading of an odd shaped item which may also not have its weight evenly distributed can present a particularly difficult situation.
It would be advantageous to have a package assembly that can easily be loaded and unloaded by one person without fear of damaging the item. The various embodiments and species of the present invention provide such a package assembly and method for loading and unloading same safely.